Just as rewarding as it can be to find a new artist that immediately appeals to you, so is finding an old artist that is new to you and just as appealing. Whether you were fortunate enough to live through the Golden Era of country, or later when the Outlaws reigned, or you’re brand new to country music and still trying to wrap your head around what all the fuss is about, with the entire history of music now at your fingertips thanks to technology, there’s always something to discover.

Listening to this debut record from Brent Cobb doesn’t feel like a new release, but one from an overlooked influencer of the Outlaw era whose under the radar effort went on to become a cult classic, like a record from Willis Alan Ramsey, or fellow Georgian Larry Jon Wilson that never found the commercial success it deserved in its own era, but went on to inspire high-profile peers by presenting a sound that will never tarnish over time and songs that remain relevant even today.

Produced by his cousin Dave Cobb, Shine On Rainy Day is more country than it is anything else, but the soul and folk rock influences are palpable on the tracks that roll out so smoothly, they envelop the consciousness not just in enjoyment, but in the presence of nostalgia like a thick memory that feels so present in the here and now, it’s haunting.

Just like Chris Stapleton whose debut was also produced by Dave Cobb, Brent moved to Nashville to be a songwriter. Though he didn’t find the major commercial success of Stapleton, Brent landed a few cuts here and there, and for similar names. Luke Bryan cut his song “Tailgate Blues” in 2011, and other mainstream acts like David Nail and Kellie Pickler have featured Brent Cobb in their songwriting credits. But ultimately it became apparent that songwriting for the mainstream was not for him. What first put Brent Cobb on the map for some was when he released the anti Bro-Country song “Yo Bro” in early 2015. Now, just like Stapleton, Cobb is primarily focused on his own music as a solo performer.

Brent Cobb’s time as a professional songwriter for Carnival Music allowed him to refine his chops and become a top-shelf composer. This is apparent right out of the gate in this debut record with the track “Solving Problems”—something you wouldn’t be surprised to hear from John Prine or Guy Clark. “Diggin’ Holes” is another that is as good as any other song you’ll hear penned in any era.

But the principle subject matter for Shine On Rainy Day centers around Brent Cobb’s homesickness for south Georgia and more simple settings. “South of Atlanta” and “Country Bound” are all about the laid back attitudes that persist in the southern Georgia region, and to hear Brent sing about the area makes it sound like a piece of heaven.

All the audio illustrations of a simple lifestyle are enhanced by cousin Dave Cobb’s production effort that focuses primary on mood throughout the record. As uncanny as it is that Dave was able to create a setting for this record that feels like it’s 40 years past, so is the discipline to adhere to this same mood through the entire record, making it feel like a time capsuled project as opposed to a modern record.

But Shine On Rainy Day may be almost a little too laid back and sedated, to the point where it’s hard to hold your attention to it as a song cycle. Without a whole lot of diversity or spice, your eyelids tend to get a bit heavy listening to this record in one setting, even if each individual song would generally hold your attention just fine. It blends a little bit too easy into the background in the second half, even when the final song “Black Crow” gets extended via guitar solo. There just needed to be a bit more gas. This is mood music, and the mood it happens to set is a lazy one. You could almost go as far as to refer to it as a stoner record if the material was more oriented in that direction.

But like those old classic cult country records, it may not be stellar cover to cover, but it’s both the mood and the top songs that you could never trade for most of what modern music has to offer. Will it be enough to put Brent Cobb on the bigger map like other Dave Cobb-produced artists like Stapleton, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson have enjoyed? That’s a good question, and the answer is probably that Brent is still in the early stages of his career and still trying to establish a name as a performer beyond “Dave Cobb’s cousin.” But this is a worthy first effort that will draw many devoted listeners, and lay a foundation for things to come.

7.5/10

49 Comments

Fuzzy TwoShirts
October 11, 2016 @
8:15 am

I think I’ve made it very clear how I feel about “producers.”

But I make exceptions for Dave Cobb. The man is either a genius or a saint and I’m not sure which, but it seems like every record he’s involved with is a masterpiece.
He really knows how to draw the best from out of the performer instead of diluting that creative output with his own influence.

Let that last part sink in, because a lot of “producers” don’t get it.

Dave Cobb knows how to draw the best from out of the performer instead of diluting it with his own input.

A lot of other producers see themselves as “artists” using malleable performers to create their own art instead of letting the performer create the art.

I was blown away by this record. It’s just got that sound to it that, like many others, I thought had dried up and gone away. After a weekend of listening I think it’s my favorite of the year, along with Flatland Calvary, Cody Jinks, and BJ Barham. I’ll have to give it some time to see what kind is staying power these songs have.

I thought the album overall had a pretty soft feel to it, like maybe James Taylor or Ryan Scott Travis who I’ve been enjoying this past year. I may do some promoting for it on my social networks this coming week.

I grew up near where Brent Cobb hails from and this guy gets it. He knows how to wrap up southerness, especially living in south GA, into a song like nothing I have ever heard before. Absolutely loved this album as it brought me right back home. Trigger, any chance for a review of the new Jamestown Revival album? I know you’re a busy man but that album has some pretty country material on it and those guys can make a good song.

I’ve been driving with this record since it came out last week. Atlanta traffic sucks and it calms me down. “Tabs on me if you think I’m lying, laughing ain’t a pleasure till you know about crying” that’s some good song writing right there.

Listened to it all weekend almost continuously. Very good record and a spot on review, Trigger. I also eel like it could use a bit more gas in places, but he’s a good songwriter with an appealing voice and solid arrangements. As a southerner trapped in DC, his romanticizing of the South hits me where I live. Thanks for the review.

I think long hair is a two-fold kinda thing… first it is a rejection of the close-cropped sides and styled long top full of “product”. Secondly, a return to the 70s outlaw style that has accompanied the rejection of auto-tuned hick-hop commercial country crap. Thank the lord for Willie Nelson.

I streamed this on First Listen last week — it is a bit samey, but overall I thought it was lovely. 🙂 (Besides “Solving Problems,” I was also partial to “Diggin’ Holes,” “Country Bound” and “Traveling Poor Boy.”)

Been a fan of Brent’s for many years. Almost thought he was never going to release another album. This album is way way overdue, but I’m loving it not that it’s here. Hope he finally gets the attention he deserves.

Like many of you, i tried this one out on first listen, and maybe its because im approaching the old age of 30, but the slow and easy listening mood doesnt bother me. I first heard of Brent on the Southern Family album and really enjoyed his track and the sound it had. I was hoping this album kept that feel and it did. To me it plays like an old Kristofferson or Gordon Lightfoot record. I could easily see the stoner label coming into play if it were different subject matter. You have to really be in the right mood or mindset for records like these, but when you are, nothing beats it. I think the review is a fair assessment of the project.

I like it. Not sure it will make my “best of 2016” list as this has been a very good year for Texas/Americana/Traditional Country music. But I much prefer this record over the recent Morgan or Pitney records, which aside from the neo-traditional production left me cold. Hopefully we hear more from Cobb soon as I think he could be just starting a damn fine musical career.

I would also like to mention that last week saw the release of Matt Woods new album. Damn fine record and “The American Way” might be one of the most honest, refreshing looks at the current American condition.

I do a lot of demo production and I’ve commented before on Dave Cobb’s work so I won’t beleaguer the point except to day that I find his ” contributions ” lacking in terms of the arrangement of material and the overall sonic quality . Any productions I’ve heard by him do indeed sound ” hands-off ” but that is not always a good thing and I’d go so far as to say it isn’t even a good thing MOST of the time .My experience , and that of most producers , I’d suggest , has been that ‘artists ‘ may not know it or want to accept it but most do , in fact , need some direction/experience to bring out the best in their performances , their writing , their creative potential and their vision . This particular song leaves so much room for improvement ( if only in cleaning up the muddiness in the overall mix and slightly buried vocal performance ) in using an arrangement which would more effectively utilize dynamics to better convey the mood , the message ….the point . I understand the singer/songwriter arguing ” I don’t want it to be all dressed up and slick and Nashville-sounding ” but again , if you are serving the SONG and not the artist , you may not be able to get away with a no-production kind of production .

To my ear , Brent has a pleasant voice and its an OK song . But overall , both of these aspects are forgettable having no distinctions in production which might set the song apart and have it stand out.
I’m not saying this approach may not be preferred and appreciated by some folks . I’m simply saying that if you are serving the song and not the songwriter you will almost always give BOTH writer and song a better chance of being successful in terms of audience size . Flat-sounding productions often don’t achieve this .

Two brand new 2016 Lincoln Navigators sit side by side on the lot …same color , same options , same engine …same everything including price . One is covered top to bottom in mud making it difficult to appreciate what’s underneath . The other is coming off a fresh detailing , it sparkles and shines inside and out , top to bottom ….everything has been addressed . Which one would you buy ?

Thank you for this comment. It allows me (an affirmed “anti-producer”) to better understand why some people want to lump praise on someone other than the artist.

My perspective, as I detailed above, is that too many producers get the idea in their head that they are an artist, and they use a malleable performer to create their own art instead of creating the performer’s art.
Too many times these producers aren’t even musicians and/or are barely able to navigate a keyboard.

To further your Lincoln Navigator analogy, I would say that too many times a great Navigator comes in (an artist) and a producer decides to add spoilers, new paint, flame designs, hood ornaments, and the end result in no way resembles the great car that came in, but seems like a Frankenstein’s monster of a thing burdened down with so many frills and accessories, all of which are cool on their own but when all are together is overwhelming and they just make the car look bad.

That’s what I like about Dave Cobb. He doesn’t mess with what he’s given, he tries to let the performer’s art stand out, and his “hands off” approach results in the material the way it was intended to be experienced.

the way the artist created it.

Is this a blanket condemnation of producers? Almost.

I would almost say that I hate all producers and feel that they are ham-handed obstructionists who dilute other people’s art.

But there are few enough exceptions that I don’t want to spew something like that just yet.

I can attest, as someone with quite a bit of experience, MOST serious musicians who have been performing for a while, have figured out how they want the material to sound, and most of them have gotten their dynamics and approaches honed to a science.
MOST serious musicians don’t need someone else’s input on dynamics, arrangements and the like, because they’ve got the class and taste and dignity to do it themselves.

So from my perspective, generally speaking, producers are a tool for the un-musical people, like Luke Bryan, and they just get in the way of most “real” musicians.

And on the specific review of the song:

maybe I would agree with you that it’s a little unremarkable. I’m not astounded by it.

But let’s say we went your route and got a ham-handed obstructionist-err, I mean a producer to dress it up.

How is it different from a Luke Bryan song?

Most Luke Bryan songs are underwhelming when all the smoke and lights of the studio are taken away. Just a voice and a guitar and MOST of his, and Sam Hunt’s songs are reduced to almost nothing at all.

By implying that a producer could improve it, I feel as though you’re implying that “fake” art is a good thing.

When the light show is removed, Luke Bryan’s art is revealed to be plastic, disposable art.
All the fancy frills and trim from the producers aren’t much more than a lot of glitter covering up the shortcomings.

I would say that this is a bad thing, because it means the music isn’t good and it’s just been “dressed up.”

”Am I hyperextending your argument beyond what you intended it to be? ”

…maybe , F2s …but I appreciate your viewpoint. We may have to agree to disagree on this one .But I’d suggest that even Picasso or Van Gogh would rather see their paintings properly framed by someone who knows how to build frames , properly lit by someone who knows lighting and properly displayed where the public will notice them rather than thumb-tacked to the back of the door in the janitor’s closet . I believe many of these ‘under-produced ‘ efforts by singer /songwriters could benefit from even slightly better framing and lighting if they are hoping to be noticed by a larger market . I’ll give you that a ball game on an old 18 inch black and white TV may be exciting .
But if its a game worth watching, I want to see it on a 40 inch colour set .
.

I think we’re describing the contributions of producers in different ways.

You’re making it sound like all a producer does it provide the best quality sound equipment and make sure that the recorded tracks are equal.

All well and good,

but when a producer says “let’s get a horn section in here” he’s begun intruding into the creative process.

To use your TV analogy, I want to watch a game, but instead of experiencing the amount of practice that the players put in, and the teamwork and effort that was required, it plays out more like a practice session with each play being done individually with stand-in dummies.

Ok folks Derek Jeter threw the ball, please wait while we send out the next player who will then contribute his part of this play.

Or worse, the players have been replaced by other celebrities, or by machines, because somebody who doesn’t play sports decided it would make better viewing.

So when I hear the word “producer” I think of someone who’s trying to change the art, not just someone with a headset who’s trying to make sure it sounds good.

”…So when I hear the word “producer” I think of someone who’s trying to change the art, not just someone with a headset who’s trying to make sure it sounds good…”

Yeah …I think this is the issue here F2S . A lot of the ” sounds good ” part happens in the mixing and mastering . I DON’T think of a producer as changing the art whatsoever. I think of him as an experienced and knowledgeable resource who knows how to help a willing artist FIND the art and showcase it in the best , most accessible way possible by serving the lyric/song .

As a very simple example ,for instance , I work with singers who don’t fully understand the importance and value of singing a song in the RIGHT KEY…. FOR THEM . The key that allows them to bring energy and emotion to their message and have listeners FEEL that emotion ( which is why so many Bro things miss the mark ). Many , many singer songwriters are used to sitting in a room writing to their own acoustic accompaniment in a ‘comfortable ‘ key which often isn’t the best key to achieve the above. And that’s just a very simple example .

Horns ? Absolutely if the song is asking for horns ….or a more powerful arrangement than the singer can deliver solo . A great producer has a handle on every aspect of the song ….including making sure the hook ( intent ) is clear and always present …he needs to have the ears of a listener who is , most times, NOT a musician or vocalist , he’s an asset because he’s learned from mistakes and knows how to help the artist avoid making them , knows WHAT musician(s) to hire to best achieve the artist’s vision , knows how much or how little a song needs in terms of musical support , and knowing what a ‘ radio song’ needs to sound like to please labels. radio and listeners , if that’s the artist’s intention , as well as many many other aspects of the recording process .

They key thing and mixing and stuff I will grant you, but you’re describing an obstructionist who can put their own input into someone else’s art.
If an artist wants a producer’s input, all well and good.

My specific problem is when a producer decided for an artist what arrangement should be used, when the artist wants to create the art a specific way.

Conflict of interests and all that.

So you make some good points, at the risk of sounding like someone who thinks that the producer is the one who creates the art.

The writer/performer creates the art.

The producer can either make it shine by drawing out what is within the artist, make it shine by helping an unguided “new” artist put some polish on it, or take away the creative vision and put in their own input like a heavy handed obstructionist.

And this is why Dave Cobb has my respect. He allows an artist to create their own art, and doesn’t go the Joey Moi/Max Martin route of polluting someone’s art with his own input.

I’ll close my ‘case’ with this : George Martin and Sgt Peppers .
There isn’t a hope that the young Beatles could have realized THIS vision without the musical and technical expertise of a producer as skilled , as understanding and open as GM . The band themselves have indicated that for years . THEY had the artistic vision for that disc ( it even blew George away, as we all know by now ) but it took GM to help them focus and realize it . Thank goodness . It is my ( and many other music fans’ ) favourite all time record .

Yes , the wrong producer can misguide , mis-interpret and be hugely detrimental to an artist’s vision / career . But so can the artist himself if he doesn’t have the experience , skills and an understanding of where he is going and how to get there .

And as I say , F2S , perhaps we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one .

This isn’t Brent Cobb’s debut album. He has another full length and an E.P. to his credit. Both are good, and worth a listen. But this is a stellar album. It will be the next big thing that hits the mainstream market in a way that Stapleton did. And it is an album where every song has substance dripping. Masterful song writing. Soulfull voice. Music and mood are perfect for the songs…. This is a 10/10 album for me. Highly recommend it. Also check out his cut from Southern Family, “Down Home”. Highly recommended listening.

This is Brent Cobb’s debut. His other records are basically out-of-print, and did not nearly have the muscle as this one. That’s not an insult to those prior projects at all, but that’s the way Brent Cobb is approach it, and that’s the way Dave Cobb is approaching it, who’s not just the producer of the album, but also the label head.

“It will be the next big thing that hits the mainstream market in a way that Stapleton did.”

I appreciate your optimism but I’m not sure that’s possible. I would love for it to happen, but first this record has to win three CMA Awards and Cobb has to get a performance slot with a mainstream pop star. And even if that happens, it has to send the album on a sales course unseen in decades, except for Stapleton.

Right now on the building sales charts, this album is not even registering. I would expect for it to debut in the Top 10, but right now it’s on the outside looking into the Top 5. I think Brent has a ways to go in building up a fan base. This is his red shirt. If he blows up, it will be his next record.

Maybe, but Stapleton had already won all those awards before he performed with Timberlake that night, the votes had already been cast. Stapleton wasn’t even selling wood, he was selling splinters at the time he won the CMA awards, sinc3 then, it went up…. My point is that Brent is in the same mold, has been a successfull songwriter, has a ton of love from the mainstream artist. I don’t think that anyone would get passed or be surprised if he got a few nominations, or one a few awards at cma 2017….

The clips I heard from Cobb’s new album harken back to James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot at times to me a bit. It has a chilled out feel. I will need to dig into it a bit more.

On a side note, heard part of Paul Cauthen’s first solo album tonight. Cauthen, of Sons of Fathers previously, has a new album called My Gospel. Hope you review it Trigger, his voice is amazing and he too has made comments criticizing Music Row and current country music.

Your little stab at the album has sold me on it. So many 90s albums were ruined by the 3 unnecessary uptempo songs they all had. Keep it slow(er) and I’ll buy it (IE Jamey Johnson, Whitey Morgan, Cody Jinks)

Not to be argumentative to the above statements of production quality, but….. as a certified recording nerd/producer/”artist”/songwriting wordsmith… bitches/ I would have to disagree with the concerns of the production quality of this tune. It stricks me as VERY James Taylor-ish. Wordy, pleasent, smooth. The muddiness you reference too is old Mudslide Slim being sonically remembered by somebody. Cobb 1 or Cobb 2. Dave Cobb’s productions that I have heard (as of late) have all been retro vintage sonically. Sounds easy, but in today’s world of pc production, it’s not. And if he is tracking and keeping the whole project analog, they got to cost a fortune. But I digress, point being, I wouldn’t herold Dave Cobb as a producer wizard, but I would say he makes good products as of late using a play book from 1979. But to be able to pull it off is worthy high praise. But I think to clean this up would sound very forgetable. But to each his own…

I like his singing/songs/ music a lot. There are quite a few very good live videos on youtube, and some recorded stuff. Some country, some more in on the blues side. Some quiet like this one, some more up tempo.

I completely understand that it is mood music and I agree that it should pick up somewhere along the album but I have to be honest; I absolutely love this album and I am a person that fully enjoys, maybe even prefers, uptempo music. I think this album is great.

This is a fantastic album. I completely understand the references made above in comments to the laid back feel of a James Taylor or Gordon Lightfoot sound, but that is just a part of the dynamics of this record. Some of the lyrics are instantly classic, akin to 1970’s Willie Nelson. Brent Cobb is a phenomenal songwriter and he has a unique voice full of character and instantly recognizable. I’d give this more of a 9 than a 7.5.